Mayor Peter Chin, chief executive Jim Harland and Cr Richard Walls, responding to questions about why decisions on various projects took so long to make, all put the blame on consultation.
"The Local Government Act requires us to consult, pick a winner, have hearings . . . what might be obvious can take three or four years," Mr Harland said.
"For me, the issue is because there are so many opportunities to consult on something, people misuse that to push their own agenda."
[comment caption=Public consultation on council projects: Is there too much, not enough or just the right amount?]In addition, consultation could be acrimonious and confrontational.
"In my view, there's a lack of respect for what the councillors do."
The concept, though, was valid because the money councils spend "is not ours", but was acquired through compulsory taxation, Mr Harland said.
Consultation - or a perceived lack of it - has drawn sharp criticism recently, especially in the Dunedin stadium debate.
Despite a vast majority of submitters to both the city council and the Otago Regional Council being opposed to the stadium, the project progressed through both local authorities, outraging opponents.
But Mr Harland dismissed the argument.
"It's not about numbers. It's a councillors' decision."
Asked if there were positive aspects to public consultation, Mr Chin took some time to answer.
"It gives the opportunity for the community to make their views known to people who make decisions. At times, it gives you a better understanding of background issues."
But Mr Chin criticised "the unreasonableness of the expectations of those that take the trouble to make their views known".
Hands off Harrop, the group set up to oppose the Dunedin Centre, was an example, he said.
"As we work through the process, [the group] has said no matter what the hell we do, they will take us to the Environment Court."
That attitude, as a negotiating point, showed the problems the council faced, he said.
Consultation had slowed down the Dunedin Centre project, with councillors persuaded to consider further options for it.
"All councillors want to be seen as sensitive to the views of the community," Mr Chin said.
"I think they realise in the process that's happened there's been part of the community that's been very vocal in their views about what should not happen."
But a majority of councillors had opted for further work to be done.
The answer, Mr Chin said, was in a council that was not afraid to make difficult decisions.
Another issue making the process harder was the use of information sourced through the Internet, Mr Harland said.
The result was "screeds" of information presented in support of an emotional argument, which took time and effort to respond to, and delays that cost money.
Informal consultation was useful when the council discussed issues with interested parties, but the formal, public process was "where we get difficulties".
"The problem with formal consultation is it gets captured by interest groups," Cr Walls said.
"Where the process breaks down is where people take immovable positions.
"In the end, the council is elected to make decisions."
Some examples
There are some hardy perennials on the Dunedin City Council's list of projects - items that lurch from one agenda to another without resolution. Three examples:
• The Awatea St stadium dragged through what seemed like endless committee and council meetings and years of debate, before, rather than a yes or no decision, the project was allowed to continue subject to a list of conditions.
• The Dunedin Centre extension has evolved over years, and a recent meeting ordered another of many reports on two options that are still on the agenda for the building.
• Finding the right spot for a public toilet in South Dunedin has taken at least three years.
The council has been unable to find consensus that would allow the building of a long-awaited Exeloo, because while everyone appears to want a new public toilet, neither the local banks nor the local church want it outside their premises.
